Press Statement by President EPN on his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting

“The tourism that comes to our country, “Is largely a result of the promotion carried out and of how Mexico is projected to the world in these areas in which we have been participating.”

Thank you.

Good afternoon.

I am pleased to see you.

We haven’t seen each other for hours if not days.

Let me take stock of this working tour.

I think it has been a very intense tour, but one that achieved its goals.

First, let me say why we’re here.

Mexico is a country that is not isolated from the world. On the contrary, it participates in various multilateral forums, attended by several countries, with whom we have a broad relationship and with which we wish to engage in trade.

And it is worth noting that much of the economic benefit we have in our country, many of the jobs created in Mexico derive precisely from the relations Mexico has with several countries; 60 percent, or more, 63 percent of the wealth generated by the country comes from the trade we do with the world.

Hence the importance of participating in these multilateral forums, attended by the world’s leading economies, which are countries from different parts of the world, with which we have a strong business relationship; which leads precisely to the conditions that impact on Mexicans’ well-being and quality of life.

The tourism that comes to our country is also largely a result of the promotion made and of how Mexico is projected to the world in these areas in which we have been participating.

This working tour, from Sunday to Thursday, has had two key events.

In Turkey, we participated in the meeting of the G20, which brings together the 20 largest economies in the world, including Mexico. Events began with a forceful condemnation of terrorism and widespread solidarity with the people of France and other countries that have been the target of terrorist attacks.

This includes the case of Turkey itself and the aircraft downed in Russia, to name just a few of those mentioned at this meeting, in which the G20 countries broadly condemned terrorism.

Mexico expressed its deepest solidarity with the people of France. It expressed its condolences to those who had lost their loved ones in these very unfortunate events.

It also supported the UN plan of action, announced ahead of time by the UN Secretary General at this meeting, to prevent violent extremism. Mexico stated there that no extremism is good for humanity.

No ideological, religious or political cause should resort to violence.

Attendees at this G20 meeting addressed issues to promote, in each of the member countries of this group, measures that will allow us to deal with this global environment of high volatility and risk aversion, recover the pace of growth of our economies; and achieve economic growth that is sustainable and inclusive, in other words, environmentally friendly.

This growth would, at the same time, achieve the reduction of everything that causes damage to the environment and contributes to climate change. And by being inclusive, it will contribute to better wealth distribution.

The meeting included positioning on what each country has done to achieve these objectives.

Mexico also confirmed what is at stake in the structural reforms it has undertaken.

Because these reforms are in harmony with these objectives: ensuring that Mexico will achieve higher growth, that this growth will be sustainable and in harmony with the environment, and inclusive, meaning that it will provide greater opportunities for Mexican society.

Within this participation in the G20, I held bilateral meetings with the Prime Minister of Canada, the first meeting I have had with the recently elected Prime Minister of this country, and who established the beginning of a new era in relations between Canada and Mexico, which would allow us, through a more constructive attitude, to build relations and establish mechanisms for closer relations between the two countries.

And the issue of visas, once made compulsory for our fellow countrymen, was obviously discussed and the Prime Minister gave instructions for this issue to be reviewed and eventually, for steps to be taken to eliminate them.

I also had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Italy, who, just a few months ago, I had occasion to meet during an official visit to that country, during which he expressed interest in continuing to support and collaborate in issues to promote small and medium enterprises. He also mentioned the interest of companies in his country in investing in Mexico, particularly in the energy sector.

I also had a meeting with the President of China, at which we confirmed the bonds of friendship between our countries and, above all, the path which we have drawn to intensify relations both commercial and in other areas of bilateral relations.

It was a working meeting that allowed us to address various issues of bilateral relations, and for the two governments to be quite clear that the point is to progress in the medium and long term, through the relations we are building with that country. These mechanisms and issues are included in the relations we have agreed between the two governments for our countries in order to ensure development and provide greater reciprocal investments and more trade, so that more products made in Mexico may enter the large consumer market represented by the country of China.

After that, we came here, where we are now, in the Philippines, for the APEC meeting, which can be divided into four main areas:

First, the state visit. Since the Philippines is the venue for the APEC, I am grateful to President Aquino for allowing us to have a state visit here, Mexico’s first in 53 years.

And for this to contribute to building a better relationship, but especially to achieving greater exchange, as I pointed out already in the press conference on the State Visit.

Second important issue. Within the framework of this APEC meeting or outside it, but taking advantage of the presence of several heads of state on the occasion of the APEC Meeting, there was one particular meeting of the 12 member countries at the end of the of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, better known as the TPP Agreement, which is worth describing in detail to show where we are.

Negotiations were successfully completed; this will be followed by the signing of this agreement, which must then be reviewed and ratified by the corresponding authorities in each country.

In the case of Mexico, in due time and once this agreement is signed, it will be ratified by the Senate.

But, as I said, we have concluded the negotiation, we will subsequently sign the agreement and then move on to the debate and, above all, disseminate the benefits this agreement will entail for the economy of our country as it will undoubtedly be a cutting-edge agreement, a free trade agreement comprising12 economies from four different regions and three different continents: America, Oceania and Asia.

And it is certainly is a cutting-edge free trade agreement of enormous scope, and one in which Mexico is participating or will participate, after going through these stages that I have shared with you here.

This space was also an opportunity for the first dialogue between member countries of the Pacific Alliance and those belonging to APEC.

This first meeting allowed greater rapprochement between the APEC economies on the Pacific Rim and members of the Pacific Alliance.

Several of the APEC economies or countries participate as observer countries of the Pacific Alliance.

After all, the spirit that permeates these two groups, these two groups of countries, is the promotion of free trade between nations that form part of the Pacific Alliance and the Asia-Pacific region.

It aims precisely to expand the current level of trade in this region, despite the slowdown in world economies, in almost all the world economies.

It must be said that the Asia-Pacific is giving clear signs of greater economic growth, and is where we must focus efforts to strengthen the economic and trade relations we have with this region of the world.

And finally, the APEC meeting, which convened this group of countries, 21 countries that are part of the group of economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, and whose purpose is to achieve a free trade agreement in what I hope is the not too distant future.

But in the meantime, we achieved this goal and the Ministry of Economy will undoubtedly have elaborated on some of the features of this cooperation agreement between the Pacific Rim countries.

There, the member countries examined the measures and actions each country is taking to achieve sustained, sustainable and rapid economic growth. This is perhaps similar to the issues we addressed in the G20 countries’ meeting, but now with the countries that are part of the Pacific Rim.

Again, we explained the structural reforms Mexico has promoted as well as the direction these reforms are taking, especially those that have effects of an economic nature. We explained that they are structural reforms with a green orientation green, that is, with an orientation that allows Mexico to grow economically in a sustainable manner, with respect for the environment, with a reduction of greenhouse gas, a lower carbon footprint and a commitment to really fighting climate change and doing so in an inclusive manner.

This is what I would highlight in this work session, which has lasted from Sunday to Thursday, in these two countries, these different meetings we have held with the different countries that are part of these groups of associations, which I have already mentioned and which clearly show that Mexico is a global player, an actor who participates in and belongs to various global forums.

We can proudly say that Mexico is one of the emerging countries, in other words developing countries, that is involved with these nations, some with greater levels of development, others with similar levels of development, and we are making efforts to achieve prosperity and development for our societies.

"We are proud to participate in these working meetings that project a modern, vigorous Mexico, which assumes its global responsibility and is not isolated, and on the contrary, is quite clear that achieving development within and development for its society, will derive from the relations it build with the nations of the world.”

Thank you very much for your attention, and I hope you will send off your news items quickly so that we can return to Mexico.

Good afternoon.

Press Statement by President EPN on his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting